Who Invented the Breathalyzer

A breathalyzer is a device that is used to calculate or estimate BAC or the blood alcohol content from the breath of a person. The origin and first development of the breathalyzer was in the year 1927 when Emil Borgan came out with an experiment with air in a football. It led to the discovery of the fact that 2 liters of air had more alcoholic content than 1 cc of urine. In the year 1938, professor Harger came up with the first drunkometer which used a balloon for collection of air. Then the air was passed through potassium permanganate solution and the color change indicated alcohol in breath.

Dr. Robert Borkenstein, professor of Indiana University, in the year 1954 developed the first breathalyzer. It measured the level of alcohol in the blood of a person at the time of taking the breath sample. After many decades of technology transformation, the breathalyzerhas underwent many changes and is used by law enforcing body and police excessively. Since the results are immediate, actions are easy for the police and law bodies. Many countries have specified and approved breathalyzer devices that can be used as evidence and testing by law enforcing bodies.